IT Workers In Demand; Playing Hard-To-Get

The need for IT workers with very specific skills is driving up the wages earned by those workers. And a reluctance to jump around from job to job (Hello 1998!) is making it difficult for employers to fill IT positions. That translates into a shortage -- and higher wages for the right candidate.

The AeA, a Washington-based trade group formerly known as the American
Electronics Association, said in a report released April 24 that there
were 5.8 million high-tech jobs in the U.S. last year — up by 3% year
over year. In 2005, the number of jobs grew by only about 1%, the AeA
said.

Last December, Robert Half Technology said its quarterly
survey of more than 1,400 CIOs showed that 16% planned to hire
additional IT staffers during this year’s first quarter, while 2%
planned to make cutbacks. The net positive of 14% was the highest that
the Menlo Park, Calif.-based recruiting firm had seen since the fourth
quarter of 2001.